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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — to come from
  8. face — to point toward
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. face — to confront
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cold — not warm

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