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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. roll — a list
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — an aim
  15. lean — thin
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — for tennis

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