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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: lean · cell · racket · toast · lash · cold · last · patient

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. last — to go on
  3. cell — in biology
  4. toast — bread
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. last — finally
  11. cold — not warm
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — an illness
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lean — thin
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. last — final
  22. lean — to bend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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