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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: lash · band · chest · kid · wake · bound · mark · dip

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a ring
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — a trail
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kid — child

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