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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — a city
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — a song
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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