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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. present — the time now
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. content — happy
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — there
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. content — the amount
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. toast — bread
  17. charge — in control
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. tube — a container
  23. present — a gift
  24. straw — dry grass

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