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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: wound · suit · stick · band · fan · bowl · sharp · bear

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a music group
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — to fit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bear — the animal

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