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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — a series
  3. band — a ring
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. band — a music group
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — goods
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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