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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: toast · pass · roll · wound · lie · mouse · arm · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. toast — bread
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. roll — a list
  24. mouse — the animal

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