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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · ruler · snap · lash · chair · rest

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — bread
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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