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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a hat
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rest — a break
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to tire

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