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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. field — a subject
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stand — to bear
  9. field — for sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — farmland
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. present — there
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — an injury

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