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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — finally
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. degree — temperature
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — final
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lie — an untruth

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