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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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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 · suit · mark · rest · lean · racket · bank · wind

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a grade
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rest — a break
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — clothes

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