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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: wake · craft · jam · stand · wave · cold · stick · wound

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — boats
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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