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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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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: lie · mouse · band · wave · court · mine · bowl · wind

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. court — for sport
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a music group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of a king
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. court — of law
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bowl — to roll

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