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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: lash · racket · mate · toast · lie · cap · wake · roll

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cap — a lid
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lie — to recline
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — of ice
  13. roll — a list
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mate — a friend
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a hat

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