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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — to bear
  10. object — a thing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. drill — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hand — help
  24. season — of the year

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