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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — a price
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — a line
  17. capital — money
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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