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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — of a plant

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