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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: wind · bore · toast · lash · bay · tube · swing · rash

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. swing — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. swing — in golf
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — a series
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rash — on the skin

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