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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: band · suit · chair · hand · fan · lash · ground · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a music group
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hand — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — a position
  20. hand — help
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. band — a rubber band
  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