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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: cap · stand · stick · cold · lean · foot · lash · kick

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cold — an illness
  24. kick — with a leg

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