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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: bay · firm · row · lash · toast · bulb · hand · rest

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. row — a line
  17. firm — decided
  18. rest — a break
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rest — what's left
  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