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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: kick · toast · spring · calf · craft · game · shower · capital

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. game — a match
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. capital — money
  7. shower — rain
  8. spring — the season
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. toast — bread
  20. spring — of water
  21. shower — to wash
  22. craft — boats
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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