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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: current · hand · calf · cap · jam · lash · race · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hand — in cards
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — of ice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — a contest
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — help
  17. race — the arms race
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. race — humankind
  22. cap — a lid
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. calf — a young 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