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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — to rip
  5. toast — bread
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to bend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — clothes
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — the fish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. suit — in cards

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