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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.

Make a worksheet

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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — bread
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — after costs
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — for catching
  14. game — a match
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — in sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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