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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — all right
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. band — a ring
  18. kid — child
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kid — to tease

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