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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — to breed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. field — farmland
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. toast — bread
  15. kick — in football
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pass — to succeed
  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