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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: bore · fan · jam · net · wind · snap · season · toast

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. season — in sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. net — in sport
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — after costs
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. season — of the year
  20. toast — bread
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. snap — to click
  24. wind — moving air

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