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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: club · key · spell · rash · band · bank · rule · kick

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — for dancing
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a ring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — a series
  12. spell — magic
  13. club — a group
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. club — for golf
  20. band — a music group
  21. kick — in football
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a rubber band

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