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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: mouse · drill · face · capital · leaves · calf · tear · chip

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. capital — a city
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. drill — army training
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — the animal

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