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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.

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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: mine · chair · rest · toast · lash · pass · plane · net

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — bread
  8. mine — for digging
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. net — for catching
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — to succeed

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