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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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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: kick · tube · spell · field · can · leaves · pit · lean

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. tube — the underground
  3. field — for sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spell — a short time
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spell — letters
  18. lean — thin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. can — a tin
  22. field — a subject
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. field — farmland

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