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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: mine · leaves · rule · clip · lash · deal · toast · mark

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rule — government
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — bread
  19. mine — for digging
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — a trace

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