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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 · mate · snap · present · deal · bank · wake · band

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — of a river
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. present — there
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — the time now
  15. mate — a partner
  16. snap — to click
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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