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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 120 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: lash · rush · rule · mug · charge · game · band · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a music group
  5. mug — a face
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rule — a law
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. charge — in control
  17. game — a match
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — a leader
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — government
  24. rush — to hurry

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