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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · calf · season · lean · straw · wave · land · ground

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ground — a position
  3. season — in sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — to bend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. ground — crushed
  11. land — ground
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — of the year
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — with your hand

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