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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. band — a ring
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — high quality
  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