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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: rest · march · trunk · ground · kick · stick · stand · wind

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — a break
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ground — the earth

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