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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: cap · mug · wound · bound · track · lie · rest · charge

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a song
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mug — a face
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — to recline
  13. charge — in control
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a path
  24. rest — what's left

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