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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: leaves · calf · capital · row · fine · snap · can · tube

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. snap — to click
  6. row — a line
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. can — to be able to
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — high quality
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — to paddle
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — a tin

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