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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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