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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: rock · lash · bear · band · cell · snap · season · mug

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rock — music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mug — a face
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cell — a phone
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — in sport
  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