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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hand · current · kick · leaves · face · bay · bat · stand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bat — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — of water
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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