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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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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: bank · rock · swing · stick · spring · wound · squash · date

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. squash — the sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. spring — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — of water
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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