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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: jam · toast · face · stick · kick · rash · wave · race

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kick — in football
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. face — to confront
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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