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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. season — of the year
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spring — of water
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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