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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. kick — in football
  3. kid — child
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. tear — to rip
  6. foot — a measure
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — in golf
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kid — to tease
  14. band — a ring
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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