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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: object · suit · band · last · lie · wound · land · pound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. land — a country
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — to come down
  8. lie — to recline
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — to go on
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — finally
  13. pound — a weight
  14. suit — in cards
  15. band — a music group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. land — ground
  19. object — a thing
  20. last — final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — clothes

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