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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: chest · pitch · hide · lash · toast · drill · bank · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. toast — bread
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. drill — a practice
  10. band — a music group
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — to keep secret

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