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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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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 · arm · band · bound · squash · lash

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. squash — to crush
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. squash — the vegetable

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