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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. field — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. craft — a skill

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