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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: kick · bore · lash · pass · lie · toast · race · roll

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. roll — a list
  3. race — the arms race
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. race — humankind
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. toast — bread
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. race — a contest

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