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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. capital — a city
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — a hole
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fall — the season
  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