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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. firm — steady
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — farmland
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — for sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. file — a document
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rest — a break
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. firm — a company

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