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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 116 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: face · board · content · wind · bowl · can · lash · band

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. face — to confront
  7. band — a ring
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — the amount
  12. band — a music group
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a committee
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wind — to turn a key

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