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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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 ring
  4. rash — a series
  5. band — a music group
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. root — of a word
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. current — electric
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. current — happening now
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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