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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: lie · chest · toast · suit · lash · mark · rule · kid

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mark — a grade
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — a box
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — to fit
  24. toast — bread

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