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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 120 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: kid · band · field · wave · bay · bowl · lash · kick

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — a subject
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. field — farmland
  8. kick — in football
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kid — child
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a ring
  24. lash — an eyelash

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