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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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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: toast · ruler · row · staff · fork · band · club · lash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. club — a group
  7. row — a line
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — bread
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a music group
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — to paddle

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