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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. kick — in football
  3. capital — a city
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — a break
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fan — a supporter

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