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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: toast · pitch · craft · lash · bowl · kick · leaves · wake

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wake — a trail
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kick — in football

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