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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: field · stick · lean · roll · kick · craft · firm · fall

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. field — farmland
  5. roll — a list
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. craft — boats
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. firm — steady
  13. roll — a cake
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — a subject
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. firm — a company

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