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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · rash · chair · wake · toast · bear · sharp · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rash — a series
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. toast — bread
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rash — hasty
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wake — a trail
  20. shower — rain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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