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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: mine · bore · squash · foot · capital · rest · toast · lash

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — to crush
  6. capital — a city
  7. toast — bread
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — to tire
  17. foot — a measure
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — the bottom

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