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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: net · pop · rest · lash · pass · toast · row · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — after costs
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — soda
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — bread
  11. net — for catching
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — a break
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pass — to succeed

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