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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: cap · date · club · stem · lash · band · rash · charge

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rash — hasty
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. charge — a price
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cap — a hat
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stem — to come from
  15. date — the fruit
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. club — for dancing
  20. band — a music group
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. band — a ring
  24. date — on the calendar

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