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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: wake · cap · lie · racket · toast · lash · stock · pit

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — a trail
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — goods
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — shares
  21. toast — bread
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. toast — the most admired

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