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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. capital — money
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rule — government
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — to crush

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