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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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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: wind · mark · can · toast · kid · stand · club · hand

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kid — child
  7. club — a group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — a grade
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. toast — bread
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wind — moving air

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