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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wake — a trail
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. roll — a list

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