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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mate — a friend
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. toast — bread
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — to breed

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