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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: wound · lean · squash · pass · hide · present · bear · band

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — the time now
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. present — a gift
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — there
  13. lean — thin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. band — a music group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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