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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: field · rest · season · rush · lean · game · stem · cabinet

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. field — a subject
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rush — to hurry

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