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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
468
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: leaves · mug · spring · kid · pound · bowl · fine · wound

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — a weight
  6. kid — child
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — all right
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mug — a cup
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — a coil

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