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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · wound · stand · present · lean · racket · chest · spring

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — the season
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spring — of water
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spell — letters
  14. present — a gift
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spell — magic
  20. lean — thin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. spring — a coil

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