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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: rash · suit · pound · cap · wound · roll · spring · patient

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cap — a hat
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pound — a weight
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — the season
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pound — to hit hard

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