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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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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hand — help
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret

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