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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 · kid · toast · scale · chest · lash · roll · deal

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. scale — in music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. toast — bread
  8. chest — a box
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — size or range
  13. roll — a cake
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kid — child
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — a list
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — hasty

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