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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: rash · hand · cell · wax · mark · bound · bat · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rash — a series
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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