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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 · hand · wake · lash · race · temple · board · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. band — a ring
  8. race — humankind
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. board — to get on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — a contest
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — help
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — a committee
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hand — in cards
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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