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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: capital · pass · season · nail · safe · spring · calf · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pass — a permit
  4. season — in sport
  5. spring — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — money
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. capital — a city
  24. spring — of water

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