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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 · jam · rash · lash · fan · band · roll · dip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. roll — a list
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. band — a ring
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. band — a music group
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — a supporter

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