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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.

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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: lash · mine · wake · pop · bound · game · suit · saw

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. suit — to fit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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