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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: dip · leaves · wound · stick · roll · arm · can · net

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — a cake
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. roll — a list
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — after costs
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. roll — on a roll

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