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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. object — to protest
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. bound — certain
  14. swing — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. object — an aim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. band — a ring
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bound — tied together

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