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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. 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. bat — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. 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