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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 120 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: pop · stand · rest · bore · foot · lean · snap · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chair — a leader
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lean — thin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pop — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — the bottom

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