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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: present · lean · tear · leaves · wound · foot · bowl · kick

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — in football
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. present — a gift
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tear — to rip
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — the time now
  24. lean — to bend

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