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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bound — certain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lean — thin
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stand — to bear

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