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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · swing · stem · game · net · file · can · wave

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. net — after costs
  3. swing — in golf
  4. net — for catching
  5. swing — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. toast — bread
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — in sport

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