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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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