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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — happy
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wake — a trail
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wind — moving air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — bread
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cabinet — ministers

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