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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: toast · fan · pass · pop · present · last · cabinet · leaves

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. present — there
  3. last — to go on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pop — soda
  12. present — a gift
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. present — the time now
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — music
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pass — a permit

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