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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cold — an illness
  18. season — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. calf — a young 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