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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · fan · spring · prune · file · wave · press · suit

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — a coil
  3. suit — in cards
  4. file — a tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. press — to push
  7. spring — of water
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — to fit
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. file — a document
  22. prune — to trim
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — to cool the 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