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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: arm · nail · lash · mug · game · cold · wake · toast

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — a cup
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cold — not warm
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wake — a trail
  13. game — a match
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. toast — bread
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wake — before a funeral

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