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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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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: rash · snap · fan · pound · sharp · leaves · stand · kick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. kick — in football
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rash — a series
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. sharp — clever
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. leaves — lets stay

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