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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: last · stick · wound · stand · kid · present · wave · lie

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. last — finally
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — final
  6. kid — child
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. present — there
  10. last — to go on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. present — a gift
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — the time now
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wound — an injury

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