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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 116 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: mug · band · stand · bound · rush · rash · patient · club

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — certain
  10. club — for dancing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. club — a group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — a series
  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