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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — farmland
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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