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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: wound · trunk · stand · ground · press · can · rock · wake

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — to push
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wake — a trail

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