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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · staff · rush · plane · club · chest · wind · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a music group
  7. club — a group
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a ring
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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