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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: mug · saw · branch · fine · stand · firm · lash · band

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — high quality
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. firm — a company
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stand — to bear
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — to rob
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a music group

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