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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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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: branch · bound · pop · deal · bank · wound · cue · lash

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — soda
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — for money
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pop — music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bound — certain
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bank — of a river
  24. branch — of a bank

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