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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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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: hide · stand · bay · cold · calf · rash · field · wax

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — a series
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rash — hasty
  13. field — a subject
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — for sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cold — not warm
  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