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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. firm — steady
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. tear — to rip
  9. season — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — a company
  14. capital — money
  15. firm — decided
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. season — to add flavour

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