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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: content · shower · object · leaves · capital · can · bound · calf

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. object — a thing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. can — to be able to
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — money
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — the amount
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. capital — a city
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — certain

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