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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: hand · squash · wake · object · ground · stand · can · spring

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. object — to protest
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stand — to bear
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — a thing
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. squash — the vegetable

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