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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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