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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a ring
  3. club — a group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. band — a music group
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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