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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: pit · ruler · last · rush · toast · cold · can · roll

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — finally
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cold — an illness
  11. roll — a list
  12. last — final
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. toast — bread
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cold — not warm

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