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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: lash · ruler · bulb · toast · stick · last · racket · cabinet

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — final
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — bread
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — to go on

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