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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: spell · root · stand · stick · kick · hand · lean · fall

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — in football
  5. spell — a short time
  6. root — of a word
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — letters
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — the season
  24. kick — with a leg

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