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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: pop · stand · toast · drill · net · file · lash · game

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. game — wild animals
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. file — a line of people
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stand — to bear
  14. toast — bread
  15. file — a document
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — in sport
  23. file — a tool
  24. game — a match

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