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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: stand · leaves · toast · hide · wound · cell · root · wind

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a plant
  5. toast — bread
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — in biology
  9. root — of a word
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wind — to turn a key

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