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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: toast · lash · racket · bound · rock · present · mate · tear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — there
  3. mate — a partner
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. toast — bread
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — certain

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