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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. shower — to wash
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. toast — bread
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cap — a hat
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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