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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. suit — to fit
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a city
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cell — a phone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com