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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: rest · lash · pitcher · wind · mouse · bound · lie · key

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rest — a break
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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