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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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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: rest · rock · jam · band · foot · lash · charge · fine

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. band — a music group
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rock — a stone
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — high quality
  18. charge — in control
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rest — a break

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