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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: lash · rest · toast · shower · mouse · can · wind · chair

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. can — to be able to
  11. toast — bread
  12. wind — moving air
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. shower — rain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. shower — to wash

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