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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: suit · present · toast · snap · fall · kick · object · roll

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kick — in football
  5. roll — a cake
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — a thing
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — the time now
  16. object — an aim
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. roll — a list
  19. present — there
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fall — the season
  22. snap — to click
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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