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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · can · wind · trunk · wound · hide · date · press

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — to push
  24. stand — on your feet

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