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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 · wind · bowl · rule · dip · can · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — to be able to
  3. toast — bread
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rule — a law
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — thin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — a sauce

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