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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hand — in cards
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chair — a leader
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. capital — money
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. hand — help
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. capital — a city
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — part of the head

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