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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: rest · wake · race · pitch · deal · band · lie · lash

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rest — what's left
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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