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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: tube · sharp · row · lash · ground · ball · content · band

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. row — a line
  3. band — a music group
  4. ball — a great time
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. row — to paddle
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ground — crushed
  9. content — happy
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. sharp — clever
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. content — the amount
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ground — a position
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. row — a quarrel

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