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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mug — a face
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of law
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. field — farmland
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — of a king
  11. kick — in football
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — a subject
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — of a river

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