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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 · spring · saw · fan · pass · dip · date · pop

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — bread
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spring — a coil
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. toast — the most admired

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