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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: firm · cabinet · present · pit · fan · lean · toast · saw

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. firm — a company
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. firm — steady
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — the time now
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — there
  12. firm — decided
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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