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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — of the year
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. season — in sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — size or range
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. trunk — of a tree

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