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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
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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: nail · wind · mate · lash · mug · court · bound · lie

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — certain
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. court — for sport
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a cup
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — of law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wind — to turn a key

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