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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. scale — size or range
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. toast — bread
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. toast — the most admired

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