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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: mouse · row · cap · fan · spring · rush · toast · saw

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spring — the season
  12. toast — bread
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. row — to paddle
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rush — hurry
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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