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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: last · lash · arm · roll · cue · wound · band · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — finally
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. band — a music group
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a signal
  23. band — a ring
  24. lash — to lash out

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