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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 · arm · fine · temple · hand · bear · stick · row

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wound — an injury
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. row — a line
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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