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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 · fall · staff · wave · object · shower · firm · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — employees
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. shower — to wash
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. firm — a company
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. firm — decided
  10. object — an aim
  11. shower — rain
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. toast — bread
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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