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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: deal · race · wave · toast · object · rest · jam · fine

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. 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. rest — a break
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. object — an aim
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. object — a thing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — to protest
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. race — a contest
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. 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