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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · season · net · bark · craft · band · wave · lash

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. net — in sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. net — after costs
  9. season — in sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — for catching

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