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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: bound · band · lean · lie · squash · bowl · rock · rash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a ring
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — a stone
  24. squash — to crush

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