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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. row — to paddle
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — a line
  21. squash — to crush
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. field — a subject

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