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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 108 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — a city
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. capital — money
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — hasty
  15. staff — employees
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ground — the earth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ground — a position
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ground — crushed

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