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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.

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: band · lash · ball · plane · game · safe · march · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — hasty
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a dance
  8. band — a music group
  9. rash — a series
  10. game — a match
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a great time
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — out of danger

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