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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.

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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: leaves · bound · calf · rush · kid · pit · bay · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kid — child
  24. rush — a thrill

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