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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — in music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. foot — a measure

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