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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: rash · bay · toast · bowl · straw · firm · kick · roll

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rash — hasty
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. firm — steady
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kick — in football
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — bread
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. firm — a company
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. roll — a list
  23. rash — a series
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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