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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cold — not warm
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. net — in sport
  24. lean — thin

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