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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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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 · kid · lash · can · spell · pit · rule · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. kid — child
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rule — a law
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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