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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. toast — bread
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — happening now
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — of water
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a committee
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. board — to get on
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. current — electric
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — a hole
  23. dip — to sink
  24. straw — dry grass

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