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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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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: mouse · bank · pound · stick · wound · plane · date · wave

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — of a river
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — a tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — in geometry

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