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

Word bank: calf · bowl · bay · toast · hide · capital

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. capital — money
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. toast — bread

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