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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. object — to protest
  3. cell — a phone
  4. board — a committee
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. toast — bread
  17. object — a thing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wind — moving air

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