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

Word bank: wound · racket · wind · stick · stem · can

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wind — moving air

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