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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: lash · rock · row · craft · bank · band · tear · safe

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a ring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — to rip
  12. band — a music group
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — to paddle

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