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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: foot · ruler · kick · rush · season · tear · stand · fall

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fall — the season
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fall — to drop

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