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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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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: fine · lash · band · last · can · club · bank · kid

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — all right
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. last — to go on
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. last — final
  12. club — a group
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — child
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. last — finally
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fine — high quality
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a music group
  24. can — a tin

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