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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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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: kid · stand · lean · lash · cap · season · kick · staff

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kid — child
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — employees
  21. season — in sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — of the year
  24. stand — on your feet

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