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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 · game · firm · saw · snap · season · cabinet · roll

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — a cake
  4. firm — steady
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. firm — a company
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. season — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to click
  15. roll — a list
  16. firm — decided
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. season — of the year
  21. game — wild animals
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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