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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cap — of ice
  15. capital — money
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kid — child
  23. capital — a city
  24. ruler — for measuring

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