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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: foot · firm · cabinet · pop · wound · toast · snap · spell

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. snap — to click
  6. firm — steady
  7. spell — letters
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — soda
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — a company
  23. spell — magic
  24. foot — part of the body

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