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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. net — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — a stone
  12. field — for sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. field — farmland
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — thin
  19. mug — a face
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. field — a subject
  23. kick — with a leg
  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