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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: bank · firm · fall · club · net · band · lash · fan

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — for catching
  9. club — a group
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — for golf
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — the season
  23. firm — a company
  24. bank — of a river

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