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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — farmland
  3. suit — to fit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ball — a dance
  7. field — a subject
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. suit — clothes
  21. field — for sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pound — a weight

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