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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — tied together
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bound — certain

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