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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · wake · band · nail · lash · cold · pitcher · toast

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. toast — bread

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