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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.

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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: squash · rest · bat · lean · stand · scale · pit · face

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. squash — to crush
  11. scale — in music
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. face — part of the head
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rest — what's left

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