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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: lie · calf · bass · cap · sharp · firm · stem · ground

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. firm — steady
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ground — the earth

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