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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: capital · bound · calf · kick · rest · cell · scale · nail

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. capital — a city
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — in music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. capital — money
  24. scale — size or range

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