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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.

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: patient · calf · hide · cap · season · firm · bulb · wound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cap — a hat
  3. firm — decided
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — of the year
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a lid

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