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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: lash · drill · mate · bank · wake · pit · stick · band

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — an eyelash

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