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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: can · bass · straw · lash · current · fan · racket · band

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a music group
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — electric
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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