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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · bark · calf · bay · shower · capital · tube · lean

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. drill — a practice
  3. capital — a city
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. capital — money
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — army training
  17. shower — to wash
  18. drill — the tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bay — a horse colour

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