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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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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: bore · lash · wake · band · lie · cap · bay · rule

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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