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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: object · bat · tear · rest · ground · toast · straw · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. object — an aim
  6. tear — from crying
  7. object — to protest
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rest — a break
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. object — a thing

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