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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: suit · row · snap · toast · cabinet · ball

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ball — a great time
  4. toast — bread
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — a line
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. suit — in cards
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. suit — clothes

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