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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: rash · lash · rock · squash · club · band · pop · stem

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — music
  6. pop — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — soda
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stem — to come from
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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