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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — child
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — a container
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. deal — to handle

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