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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: fan · pass · spell · toast · club · rush · roll · lean

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. club — a group
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a list
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — magic
  16. toast — bread
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. club — for golf
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — a cake

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