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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: calf · saw · cabinet · clip · field · pit · lie · lean

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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