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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: toast · cold · ruler · can · suit · hand · fan · staff

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. toast — bread
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hand — help
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — to fit
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — not warm
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. can — a tin

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