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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 · prune · dip · kick · bound · fan · nail · rush

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kick — in football
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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