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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: deal · arm · coach · lash · staff · rush · land · band

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — hurry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a ring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a music group

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