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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: plane · capital · calf · cell · swing · staff

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. staff — a stick
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cell — a phone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. swing — in golf
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cell — in biology
  15. capital — a city
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. capital — money

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