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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mug — to rob
  8. capital — money
  9. spell — letters
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. press — a publisher
  17. capital — a city
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — a tin

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