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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: pit · stand · can · lean · wake · wind · bass · prune

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bass — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — thin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — a tin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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