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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: deal · staff · wake · wound · date · lean · bank · cap

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lean — to bend
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — thin
  23. cap — a hat
  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