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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: plane · land · calf · ruler · safe · spring · mouse · capital

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — a coil
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. capital — money
  19. land — to come down
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — an aircraft

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