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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: wind · toast · rest · mate · board · cabinet

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a committee
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — a break
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. toast — bread

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