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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.

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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stand — to bear
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — music
  9. mug — to rob
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a face
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rock — to move gently

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