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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — decided
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — thin

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