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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 116 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 · key · bark · drill · capital · charge · lean · calf

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to bend
  5. drill — army training
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. charge — in control
  13. capital — money
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — a price
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — thin

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