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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: deal · kick · stand · face · hand · bat · perch · patient

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. kick — in football
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — help
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. face — to point toward

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