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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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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 · calf · rush · bank · land · toast · lean · court

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. land — a country
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — money
  11. land — to come down
  12. lean — thin
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — of law
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bank — of a river
  17. capital — a city
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — to bend
  20. court — of a king
  21. land — ground
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rush — hurry

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