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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 124 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. shower — rain
  3. capital — money
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. shower — to wash
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — a skill
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. toast — bread
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — to be able to

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