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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. field — farmland
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — hurry
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — to come from
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a line of people
  16. field — a subject
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — boats
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — for sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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