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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. key — in music
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — to crush
  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