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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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468
Word bank
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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. race — humankind
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — a tin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rash — a series
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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