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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — in control
  8. object — an aim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bound — tied together
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — to sink

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