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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — in control
  4. toast — bread
  5. rest — a break
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. squash — to crush
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rest — what's left

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