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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · spell · kid · calf · season · lash · capital · patient

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — magic
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. season — of the year
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. spell — letters
  24. lash — to lash out

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