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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · band · field · net · lash · stick · rash · plane

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. band — a music group
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. field — a subject
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rash — a series
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — after costs
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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