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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — bread
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. court — of a king
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. court — of law
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — electric
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — on your feet

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