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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: ground · suit · hand · object · spring · pop · wound · date

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — the earth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — to fit
  5. object — an aim
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hand — help
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — crushed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. object — a thing
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. ground — a position
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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