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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: wound · deal · suit · can · temple · lean · rest · mark

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — thin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — a break
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — in cards

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