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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: can · lash · field · bore · toast · lie · rush · court

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. field — for sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — farmland
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — a subject
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bore — to drill
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. court — of law
  24. toast — bread

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