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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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Word bank
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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: roll · fan · ruler · cell · lash · dip · toast · lean

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

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