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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: toast · cap · safe · chest · club · wind · last · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cap — of ice
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. last — final
  7. club — a group
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cap — a hat
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wind — moving air
  20. last — finally
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. toast — bread
  24. last — to go on

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