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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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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: cabinet · pass · bay · fork · toast · leaves · wound · suit

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pass — a permit

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