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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bound — certain
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. bass — low music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a music group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. arm — part of the body

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