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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — a position
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — a box
  14. field — a subject
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — in football
  20. field — for sport
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lean — to rest against

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