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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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. key — for a lock
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. track — a path
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — a song
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — of a river
  24. key — the most important part

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