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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — to paddle
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. field — a subject

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