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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — government

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