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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 116 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: pitcher · march · firm · band · object · lash · stem · rest

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — an aim

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