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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: band · temple · rash · wake · cap · wound · lash · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cap — of ice
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. cue — a hint
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — a series

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