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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · date · toast · fan · saw · lash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — a match
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — the fruit

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