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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. firm — a company
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — to bear
  8. toast — bread
  9. wake — a trail
  10. scale — size or range
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — a match
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. firm — decided
  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