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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.

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: stick · rush · rash · cabinet · lean · kick · branch · stand

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kick — in football
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — a series
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — hasty

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