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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · stand · fan · bat · key · firm · saw · kick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. firm — steady
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. firm — decided
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — in music

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