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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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468
Word bank
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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — to bear
  5. net — in sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kick — in football
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — a gift
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — after costs

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