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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: cap · foot · lash · wound · rush · date · toast · cue

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — bread
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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