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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. field — a subject
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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