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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — for sport
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. field — a subject
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. scale — for weighing

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