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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — money
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. capital — a city
  10. key — the most important part
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. current — of water
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. key — in music

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