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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — clothes
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — to fit
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. field — for sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. capital — money
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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