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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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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. hand — help
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. suit — clothes
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — a city
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — of water
  19. capital — money
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bound — tied together
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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