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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · wake · wound · band · game · cabinet · bay · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. band — a ring
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pop — soda
  14. wound — an injury
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. game — a kind of play

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