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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
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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: lie · chest · sharp · trunk · object · lash · rock · toast

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. object — a thing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — a box
  24. lie — an untruth

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