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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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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — to go on
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. present — there
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — the fish
  11. last — final
  12. bass — low music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — a gift
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. kid — child
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — for spectators

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