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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — a subject
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. field — for sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stand — to bear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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