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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. capital — a city
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — to bend
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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