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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. field — for sport
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. field — a subject
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — of the year
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — animal skin

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