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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: pit · toast · snap · net · rush · mug · face · wind

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mug — a cup
  3. snap — to click
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — in sport
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. mug — a face
  12. net — after costs
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. net — for catching
  24. pit — in a race

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