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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: foot · row · object · mug · calf · bay · spell · capital

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — magic
  5. capital — a city
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — a face
  8. capital — money
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. object — an aim
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — a line
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. spell — a short time

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