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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 · rush · roll · fine · coach · mouse · dip · clip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — all right
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. toast — bread
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. clip — for paper
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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