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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: file · toast · snap · kick · wind · suit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — clothes
  8. kick — in football
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a line of people
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — in cards
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to click
  18. kick — with a leg

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