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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: wind · snap · present · toast · mug · rush · wave · pitch

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. toast — bread
  4. present — the time now
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — a face
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rush — hurry

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