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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.

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: capital · foot · rock · content · rash · rule · calf · leaves

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — government
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. content — happy
  11. capital — money
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rule — a law
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rash — a series
  21. rock — music
  22. capital — a city
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. leaves — to go away

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