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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · ruler · wind · capital · bat · calf

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. capital — money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. capital — a city
  18. bat — for baseball

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