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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: lash · wake · chair · mine · face · toast · scale · bank

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — bread
  8. face — part of the head
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. face — to point toward
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. face — to confront
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bank — for money

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