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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: lash · rash · rest · pound · band · press · staff · chest

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — hasty
  3. band — a ring
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. press — to push
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — a series
  23. chest — of your body
  24. band — a music group

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