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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: toast · chest · cap · rash · wave · pit · foot · lash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rash — a series
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — a box
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — bread
  23. foot — a measure
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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