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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: calf · rush · stand · dip · saw · capital · leaves · can

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. capital — a city
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — to bear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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