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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · last · rule · kick · pit · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kick — in football
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — a hole
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. last — to go on
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. last — final
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rule — a law
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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