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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. kick — a thrill

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