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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: ball · rock · band · arm · lash · branch · staff · fall

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fall — the season
  8. branch — a division
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a music group
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a ring

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