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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: trunk · stand · rush · toast · wake · cell · pound · hand

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — in cards
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. trunk — of a car

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