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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: stick · rock · wave · stand · toast · chair

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chair — a leader
  3. toast — bread
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. toast — the most admired

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