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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 · lie · kick · firm · rest · present · rock · last

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. last — final
  3. present — the time now
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. firm — a company
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. present — there
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — a gift
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — an eyelash

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