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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 116 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: lean · pound · season · stand · rash · cap · hand · ball

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. season — in sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — a hat
  21. season — of the year
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ball — a great time

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