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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mug — a face
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a committee
  21. cold — not warm
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bear — the animal

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