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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — magic
  4. capital — money
  5. firm — steady
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spell — a short time
  13. firm — a company
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — the season
  24. cell — in a prison

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