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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.

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: rest · drill · can · fan · kick · bat · wound · stand

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. kick — in football
  15. drill — army training
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bat — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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