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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 put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cap — of ice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — a young animal

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