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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: lie · band · mug · cue · rash · wake · bore · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — a series
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — a face
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a music group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. band — a ring
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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