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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: deal · pound · stick · spring · cap · bay · wound · trunk

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spring — a coil
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cap — a hat
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spring — the season
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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