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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 · lie · can · staff · band · club · season · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. season — of the year
  4. club — for dancing
  5. staff — a stick
  6. season — in sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — for golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — a group
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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