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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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468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — moving air
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. calf — of the leg

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