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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 · rest · wave · rash · cold · root · stick · tube

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — not warm
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — of a word
  8. rest — a break
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tube — a container
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. root — the cause
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. root — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rest — what's left

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