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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: cap · rush · bay · fan · coach · mine · toast · stick

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — for digging
  20. toast — bread
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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