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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — a gift
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — a practice
  9. present — there
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — to go on
  13. drill — army training
  14. last — final
  15. scale — in music
  16. last — finally
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — the tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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