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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: pit · stand · wound · bark · hide · saw · rest · can

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. can — a tin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rest — a break
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — in a race

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