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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. band — a ring
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. craft — boats
  12. rule — government
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. season — of the year
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — to lash out

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