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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: straw · stem · mug · fan · tube · rash · suit · toast

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rash — a series
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mug — a cup
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stem — of a plant

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