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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: last · stick · fine · stand · rest · bat · sharp · lean

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. last — to go on
  24. rest — a break

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