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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 120 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: wound · cue · kid · bank · bear · board · rush · dip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — of a river
  8. board — a committee
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. kid — child
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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