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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: stand · wave · kick · field · pass · fall · arm · can

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — a permit
  3. field — for sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. field — a subject
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — in football
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wave — with your hand

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