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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · kid · march · firm · leaves · bowl · wound · wake

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. can — a tin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. firm — steady
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. march — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. firm — a company
  18. kid — child
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — a dish

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