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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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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: cabinet · foot · tube · rest · toast · lash · kid · wake

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kid — child
  9. toast — bread
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. toast — the most admired

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