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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 116 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: rush · bound · mine · wound · lash · stock · mug · content

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stock — goods
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mug — a face
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mug — a cup
  13. content — happy
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — the amount
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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