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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: bound · kid · present · cap · suit · stand · wound · pop

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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. present — a gift
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. present — the time now
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — there
  11. cap — a lid
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kid — child
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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