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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: mark · toast · rest · game · mine · lash · mug · swing

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — music
  6. game — a match
  7. swing — to play on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — to rob

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