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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 · roll · mug · wind · wound · hide · rush · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wind — moving air
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — a face
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. roll — a list
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rush — to hurry

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