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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 · lean · wind · wave · temple · rule

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lean — thin
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. toast — bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rule — government
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wind — moving air

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