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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rash — a series
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wind — moving air
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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