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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: wave · lie · toast · pit · game · straw · lash · patient

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. game — a match
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — to recline
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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