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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: lash · bear · rush · bore · band · bass · pitcher · tear

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. band — a ring
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tear — to rip
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — a jug

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