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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 124 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: tear · firm · season · lash · chip · calf · ball · capital

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. season — of the year
  6. capital — a city
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. season — in sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — a company
  12. chip — to eat
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a great 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