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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: toast · content · foot · rash · ruler · bark · net · wave

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — for catching
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. content — happy
  11. net — after costs
  12. toast — bread
  13. rash — a series
  14. net — in sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — the amount

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