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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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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: kid · calf · pass · hide · stem · race · lean · march

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — the month
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. march — the month
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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