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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. capital — money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fall — the season
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lean — thin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — of law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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