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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 · cap · wind · rush · track · club · band · bass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — low music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — a group
  15. band — a ring
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bass — the fish

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