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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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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: wound · stand · toast · arm · rush · net · rule · spring

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spring — a coil
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spring — of water
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — a law
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — bread
  19. rule — government
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rule — to rule out

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