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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.

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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: plane · capital · calf · mate · mouse · temple · wind · hand

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — help
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — in cards
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mate — a friend
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — for a computer

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