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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: bound · bass · cue · hand · arm · object · rush · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — a thing
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — an aim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — help
  8. object — to protest
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cue — a hint
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rush — a thrill

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