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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: can · hand · deal · wound · stick · pop · cabinet · temple

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — soda
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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