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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: rash · pound · toast · wind · stick · season · fan · firm

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rash — hasty
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — of the year
  18. firm — steady
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pound — for dogs
  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