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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 · stand · craft · mug · trunk · pound · firm · squash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stand — to bear
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mug — to rob
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mug — a face
  16. firm — steady
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pound — for dogs

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