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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: cabinet · pop · face · fan · bay · rush · row · toast

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. toast — bread
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pop — soda
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cabinet — ministers

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