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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mate — to breed
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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