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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — money
  14. march — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. face — to point toward
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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