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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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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 · mug · hand · last · toast · can · root · pass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a face
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. last — final
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — in cards
  14. toast — bread
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — finally
  24. hand — part of the body

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