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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: pass · wound · fork · bank · hand · wave · rule · pound

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rule — government
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — a law
  17. hand — help
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pound — to hit hard

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