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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.

Make a worksheet

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: tube · capital · calf · key · sharp · mouse · face · chest

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chest — a box
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — money
  11. key — in music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — to confront
  24. mouse — for a computer

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