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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.

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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: rest · season · can · calf · rash · bound · fan · firm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — a break
  23. rash — a series
  24. fan — a supporter

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