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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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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — a break
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a ring
  24. lash — an eyelash

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