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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 116 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: can · mine · mark · pound · kick · wound · present · rest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kick — in football
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. present — a gift
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — there
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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