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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. key — in music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cell — a phone
  22. key — for a lock
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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