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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · foot · rash · toast · season · pop · bark · fan

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. foot — a measure
  7. season — of the year
  8. toast — bread
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. season — in sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. foot — part of the body

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