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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: cap · roll · mine · fine · straw · pit · hide · toast

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a lid
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mine — for digging
  6. roll — a cake
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. toast — bread
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cap — a hat
  16. roll — a list
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pit — in a race
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pit — a hole
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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