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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: lie · dip · key · rest · mug · field · rash · toast

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rash — hasty
  6. toast — bread
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — farmland
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. dip — to sink
  11. field — a subject
  12. mug — a face
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — in music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a cup
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. key — for a lock
  23. field — for sport
  24. lie — to recline

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