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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: foot · toast · roll · spring · firm · shower · stick · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — the season
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — of water
  15. roll — a list
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. firm — decided
  22. roll — a cake
  23. shower — to wash
  24. foot — the bottom

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