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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. clip — a video
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — in music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. capital — money
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. clip — to cut
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — a young 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