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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: rash · stick · rest · deal · branch · wake · band · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. deal — to handle
  3. band — a music group
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — a series
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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