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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · bore · toast · bay · suit · calf · wound · capital

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spell — letters
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — to drill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — to tire
  24. capital — a city

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