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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: band · wound · rash · lie · wax · dip · rush · bound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a ring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bound — obliged
  10. band — a music group
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — to recline
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — certain
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rush — to hurry

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