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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · leaves · rash · toast · file · bore · land · lash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. toast — bread
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. land — ground
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — a country
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ball — a dance

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