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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 · rest · lean · suit · row · stand · bore · patient

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. 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. lean — to bend
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — in football
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — a line
  23. lean — thin
  24. 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