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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: lash · root · band · rash · charge · clip · spring · swing

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. root — of a word
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spring — of water
  7. root — the cause
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spring — a coil
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — electricity
  12. clip — for paper
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rash — a series
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a ring
  20. charge — in control
  21. clip — a video
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spring — the season

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