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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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Word bank
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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: stand · dip · kick · suit · cell · wind

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. suit — clothes

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