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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: lash · rest · rash · fork · rule · toast · plane · charge

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — a price
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — in control
  19. rash — a series
  20. rule — government
  21. toast — bread
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. charge — electricity
  24. plane — in geometry

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