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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — in football
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — part of the head
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. face — to confront
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rash — a series
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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