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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. toast — bread
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — to go on
  6. roll — a list
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. kick — in football
  13. last — finally
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bank — of a river
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. roll — a cake
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — final

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