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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: snap · toast · foot · chip · wind · cue · rest · roll

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. snap — to click
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. roll — a cake
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rest — a break
  20. chip — to eat
  21. toast — bread
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — for pool

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