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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: firm · stick · rush · kick · stand · bat · wound · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. firm — a company
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. firm — steady
  22. kick — in football
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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