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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · wound · present · hide · content · cue · bank · spring

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — the amount
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. cue — a hint
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — a match
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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