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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: lash · rule · mine · toast · saw · cabinet · plane · last

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — a law
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. last — to go on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. toast — bread
  16. last — finally
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. last — final
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rule — government

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