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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: face · tube · racket · wake · wound · bank · bark · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to confront
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rule — government
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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