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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: stick · rest · toast · object · lash · tear

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — from crying
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — a break
  15. object — a thing
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — from crying

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