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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — a country
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — to come down
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mate — a partner
  11. plane — a tool
  12. land — ground
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mate — to breed
  15. toast — bread
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rash — hasty

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