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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — of a word
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hand — help
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — a stick

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