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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 120 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: row · wound · drill · land · bank · suit · calf · stick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — in cards
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — of a river
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — a country
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — the tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. drill — army training
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. land — to come down
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a line
  24. calf — of the leg

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