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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. capital — money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — a grade
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — a city
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the fish

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