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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 · wake · bound · game · mouse · band · mate · mark

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. game — a match
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a ring
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — to breed

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