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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 116 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: stick · wound · band · lie · lash · spell

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a ring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. band — a music group

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