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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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Word bank
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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: press · ruler · band · bear · lash · arm · last · stock

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a music group
  10. last — finally
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — to push
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — shares
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ruler — for measuring

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