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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: foot · straw · squash · racket · hand · wound · bound · band

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — certain
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. band — a music group
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — a measure
  23. band — a ring
  24. squash — the sport

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