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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: lean · cap · pass · season · capital · calf · kid · fan

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lean — thin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. capital — money
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. season — in sport
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. calf — a young animal

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