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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.

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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: spring · leaves · calf · cap · nail · lean · hand · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lean — thin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spring — the season
  16. hand — in cards
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — of ice

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