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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: racket · pass · wake · wave · foot · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. toast — bread
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wake — a trail
  18. foot — the bottom

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