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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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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: row · bowl · lash · bank · deal · trunk · current · band

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. band — a music group
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. row — a line
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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