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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 116 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: bear · root · lie · bound · staff · lash · band · club

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. band — a ring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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