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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: temple · stand · toast · wave · content · last · bat · wake

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. last — to go on
  3. toast — bread
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — happy
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wake — a trail
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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