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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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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: suit · last · date · toast · tube · chip · roll · wind

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — to fit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. last — to go on
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — finally
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chip — to eat
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wind — moving air
  19. tube — a container
  20. roll — a list
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. last — final
  23. suit — in cards
  24. date — the fruit

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