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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 120 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: squash · band · stand · race · patient · lash · pit · suit

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. race — a contest
  4. band — a music group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pit — in a race
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pit — a hole
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. race — the arms race
  15. suit — in cards
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. band — a ring

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