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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pop — to visit
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — bread
  9. mug — a face
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — a list
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rest — a break
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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