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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — a city
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pop — music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pop — soda
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pop — to visit

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