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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
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: pass · game · prune · wound · calf · dip · capital · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — a city
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. game — a match
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — money
  24. pass — to spend time

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