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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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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 · lash · foot · wake · rock · band · key · stand

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. stand — to bear
  4. band — a ring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. club — a group
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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