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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.

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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: calf · pound · kick · safe · capital · suit · band · fall

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a ring
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a music group
  7. pound — a weight
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kick — in football
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. capital — a city
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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