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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: bulb · straw · suit · toast · roll · foot · face · file

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — to point toward
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. suit — in cards
  8. roll — a cake
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a line of people
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. toast — bread
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. face — to confront
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. roll — a list
  24. suit — to fit

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