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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cap — a lid
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. degree — from a university
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. degree — temperature
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — a hat
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cap — of ice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — a permit

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