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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · row · land · pass · chest · dip · stand · wound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. row — a line
  4. chest — a box
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — of your body
  7. land — a country
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. land — to come down
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to sink
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wound — an injury
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. net — for catching
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pass — a permit
  24. land — ground

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