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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: leaves · fine · date · ball · arm · lash · snap · band

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. snap — to click
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. band — a ring
  13. date — the fruit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — to go away

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