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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. plane — a tool
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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