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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a city
  21. mark — a trace
  22. can — a tin
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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