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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 124 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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Word bank
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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 · band · stand · clip · lash · deal · root · fan

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. band — a ring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. root — of a word
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — the cause
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. clip — a video
  20. stand — to bear
  21. clip — for paper
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — an agreement

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