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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pit — in a race
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — farmland
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — in biology
  9. staff — a stick
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. field — a subject
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. nail — on a finger

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