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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · mouse · lash · bound · chest · toast · straw · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bound — certain
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chest — a box
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pop — music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mouse — the animal

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