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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. capital — money
  3. toast — bread
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. capital — a city
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. charge — a price
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — in control
  24. tear — from crying

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