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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — a city
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — a company
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. game — wild animals
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — a match
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a leader
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. capital — money
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — on a finger

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