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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: wind · lash · root · firm · capital · mug · rock · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mug — a face
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — steady
  18. root — of a word
  19. firm — a company
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. capital — a city
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — moving air

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