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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: roll · lash · cabinet · kid · toast · mark · patient · lean

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kid — child
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — thin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a list
  23. mark — a trace
  24. toast — bread

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