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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: toast · saw · foot · bat · lash · hand · stand · jam

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stand — to bear
  7. foot — a measure
  8. toast — bread
  9. hand — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. lash — to lash out

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