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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: lash · kick · pop · wake · rash · pass · band · bowl

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — in football
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. band — a music group
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — with a leg

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