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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. present — the time now
  6. capital — a city
  7. present — there
  8. tear — to rip
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mug — a face
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kid — to tease

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