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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: kid · scale · mug · toast · lash · bay · racket · mate

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. toast — bread
  5. mate — a partner
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. kid — to tease
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. scale — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mate — a friend
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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