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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: object · pop · rest · arm · band · hide · squash · lash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — a thing
  8. band — a music group
  9. pop — soda
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — to crush
  19. object — an aim
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. object — to protest

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