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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bat — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. key — the most important part
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — to come from
  15. key — for a lock
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chest — a box
  18. object — a thing
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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