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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 · march · fine · pitcher · hand · bank · tube · craft

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fine — all right
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — the underground
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. craft — a skill

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