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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stem — to come from
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a grade
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — the 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