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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: kick · chest · stand · bore · suit · cell

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cell — in biology
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bore — to drill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chest — a box
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kick — in football
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — to tire

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