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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 116 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: stick · wound · band · lie · lash · spell · can · fork

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spell — magic
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fork — in a road
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a ring

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