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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · object · dip · lean · mate · saw · rash · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. object — an aim
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — to breed
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. object — to protest
  23. rash — a series
  24. dip — to sink

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