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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 120 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: club · bound · lie · temple · suit · rash · bat · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. club — for dancing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — certain
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. club — a group
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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