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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. club — for golf
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — a group
  21. bank — for money
  22. capital — money
  23. snap — to click
  24. capital — a city

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