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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: row · toast · fine · net · race · wave · wound · stand

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — in sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — humankind
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. race — a contest
  13. row — a line
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. net — for catching
  17. wound — an injury
  18. toast — bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. race — the arms race
  24. row — a quarrel

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