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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. toast — bread
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — to breed
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bank — for money

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