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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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Word bank
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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: toast · chair · rush · content · object · saw

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — an aim
  5. content — happy
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. chair — a leader
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — to protest
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — a professorship

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