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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
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: calf · can · race · lie · fine · season · lean · wave

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — a contest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. season — of the year
  7. fine — all right
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. race — the arms race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — humankind

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