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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: lash · fan · cap · mug · spring · can · toast · suit

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. suit — to fit
  5. can — a tin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spring — the season
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a cup
  20. toast — bread
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — to rob
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — a supporter

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