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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: row · suit · mine · last · mug · chip · wind · toast

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — bread
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mug — a cup
  10. suit — to fit
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a line
  20. last — finally
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — a face
  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