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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · field · season · hide · lean · pass · trunk · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. field — a subject
  11. kid — to tease
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — of the year
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lean — to bend

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