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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — a subject
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — hasty
  24. field — farmland

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