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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: pound · mate · mug · tube · patient · lie · last · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mate — a friend
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — final
  16. pound — a weight
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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