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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lean — to bend
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kick — in football
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lean — thin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — animal skin

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