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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: band · rule · roll · cabinet · bulb · stand · bear · lash

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bear — the animal
  9. roll — a list
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rule — a law
  20. band — a music group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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