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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: rock · wound · key · stand · degree · bear · last · hide

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — finally
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. key — in music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rock — music
  23. last — to go on
  24. degree — temperature

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