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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rest — a break
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. toast — bread
  24. rest — what's left

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