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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. field — a subject
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — clever
  7. field — for sport
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — farmland
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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