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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. band — a ring
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — certain
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kick — with a leg

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