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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: lean · stand · mark · wind · dip · net · track · rest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — a break
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lean — thin
  13. net — for catching
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a path
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wind — to turn a key

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