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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 · hand · deal · wake · lash · rule · toast · kick

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — government
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — a trail
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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