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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 · band · chip · hide · craft · bore · snap

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. toast — bread
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. craft — boats
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a ring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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