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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: kid · cue · lean · foot · rest · stand · pop · sharp

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pop — to visit
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — a break
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pop — music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — to bear
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — thin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kid — child
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — for pool

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