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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 · bowl · board · fork · wake · roll · band · mouse

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. band — a music group
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — a list
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. band — a ring
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mouse — the animal

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