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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: kick · bear · stand · stick · deal · foot

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kick — in football
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — for spectators

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