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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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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: rush · fine · lash · stick · wound · snap · band · coach

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fine — all right
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a rubber band

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