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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — electricity
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — a group
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. court — of law

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