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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hand — help
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hand — in cards
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. snap — to click
  22. chair — a leader
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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