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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: toast · object · chair · mug · wave · shower · bulb · pound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mug — to rob
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — to protest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — a thing
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pound — a weight
  20. object — an aim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — rain
  24. mug — a face

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