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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 120 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: lash · ground · bank · kid · band · fine · bay · vault

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — child
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ground — a position
  13. kid — to tease
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a ring
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ground — crushed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — a penalty

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