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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: sharp · last · capital · calf · racket · wake · dip · face

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. capital — a city
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. sharp — clever
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. last — to go on
  16. face — part of the head
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. wake — a trail
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. face — to point toward

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