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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 120 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: rush · content · season · cap · lean · bore · calf · cell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. content — happy
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. content — the amount
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cap — a lid
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rush — hurry

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