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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. clip — a video
  6. capital — money
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — a gift
  11. clip — to cut
  12. charge — a price
  13. mug — to rob
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a city
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — a face
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — the time now
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mug — a cup
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. present — there

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