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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · lash · band · swing · ball · chest · rest · kick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — a break
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chest — of your body
  12. band — a music group
  13. kick — in football
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — to protest
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. chest — of your body

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