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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.

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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: calf · field · hand · safe · stem · cabinet · hide · object

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. field — a subject
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — a thing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — an aim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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