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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — a subject
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — to come from
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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