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

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — letters
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — a measure

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