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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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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: bank · fine · band · snap · hide · pound · bulb · wound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to click
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a music group
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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