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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
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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: stand · mate · spring · mine · scale · lean · cell · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spring — of water
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. spring — the season
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — in music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — in football
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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