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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · pass · bowl · hand · cabinet · mark · wound · bark

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — help
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to succeed

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