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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — electric
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. band — a music group
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. suit — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a ring
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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