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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wind — moving air
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rash — hasty
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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