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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: sharp · lash · can · date · band · suit · bat · tear

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. band — a ring
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — clever
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. can — a tin
  17. date — the fruit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. band — a music group
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. suit — in cards

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