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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — to sink
  3. capital — a city
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cold — an illness
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cold — not warm

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