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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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468
Word bank
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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. band — a ring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. can — a tin

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