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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.

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: spring · mouse · pit · wound · hand · bank · wake · stand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — help
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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