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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — final
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — a line
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. last — to go on
  12. object — a thing
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — an aim
  19. swing — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. object — to protest

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