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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: firm · rest · row · toast · bound · fan · branch · rash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — a break
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — decided
  11. bound — obliged
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bound — certain
  14. row — to paddle
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — a company
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. row — a line

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