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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: capital · cap · calf · mate · lie · bowl · rock · hand

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — help
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rock — music
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bowl — to roll

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