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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: chair · mark · wind · track · wake · spell · foot · toast

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — a grade
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. spell — letters
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. spell — magic
  18. toast — bread
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. foot — a measure

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