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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: lean · pit · wave · cell · wound · stand · suit · bat

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lean — thin
  24. bat — the animal

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