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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: arm · rule · suit · track · wind · calf · bore · capital

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. suit — to fit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rule — government
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rule — a law
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. arm — a part of something

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