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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cold — not warm
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rash — a series

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