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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
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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: last · sharp · calf · lie · deal · chest · jam · capital

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. capital — a city
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. last — finally
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chest — of your body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — to go on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — money
  23. last — final
  24. chest — a box

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