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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · race · wave · toast · object · rest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. object — an aim
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — to protest
  13. toast — bread
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wave — of the sea

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