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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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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: pit · last · rest · wave · wound · squash · mine · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. pit — a hole
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rest — a break
  16. last — to go on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wave — with your hand

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