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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: net · lean · capital · cap · season · bear · lash · bore

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — to bend
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. net — for catching
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — in sport

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