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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: field · lash · staff · ball · rash · charge · wound · band

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. charge — in control
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. field — farmland
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. field — a subject
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. charge — a price

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