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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: kick · leaves · lash · lie · fork · can · squash · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. toast — bread
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lash — to lash out

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