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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: dip · lean · stand · staff · jam · patient · tear · bat

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bat — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — thin
  24. tear — from crying

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