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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: stand · club · kick · dip · net · chest · fall · craft

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stand — to bear
  7. craft — boats
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — a box
  13. fall — to drop
  14. club — for dancing
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — in sport
  20. club — a group
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chest — of your body
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — on your feet

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