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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 120 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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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 · pound · arm · wind · wake · bass · bay · cold

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — low music
  22. cold — not warm
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — a weight

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