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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: saw · wind · band · wound · lie · rock · lean · bay

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lean — thin
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — a horse colour

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