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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 124 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. can — to be able to
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. charge — a price
  9. capital — a city
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — money
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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