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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 120 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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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: fall · firm · calf · pound · shower · board · capital · temple

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. firm — decided
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. board — to get on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — to wash
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fall — to drop
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. capital — a city
  21. shower — rain
  22. board — a committee
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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