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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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. foot — a measure
  4. rest — a break
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — for sport
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — the bottom

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