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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. last — final
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. last — finally
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. foot — a measure
  20. toast — bread
  21. cold — an illness
  22. last — to go on
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. content — happy

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