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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: bay · foot · rush · toast · present · season · wind · fine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wind — moving air
  7. toast — bread
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — there
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fine — all right
  24. bay — a horse colour

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