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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: dip · toast · roll · snap · cue · lash · field · firm

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. roll — a list
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. field — for sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — steady
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — a signal
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cue — for pool
  21. toast — bread
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — a company

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