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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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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 · wound · trunk · hide · wake · present · toast · pound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — there
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. present — the time now
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — a trail
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. present — a gift
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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