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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 · nail · rash · leaves · present · lie · hand · wound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — a gift
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — a series
  13. present — the time now
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. nail — for a hammer

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