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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: wave · stand · face · object · march · wound · roll · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. object — a thing
  4. march — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stand — to bear
  23. roll — a list
  24. wound — an injury

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