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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — steady
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — an illness
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — not warm
  24. calf — a young animal

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