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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
468
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: wake · toast · season · tube · mate · pitch · clip · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mate — to breed
  7. tube — the underground
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — bread
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mate — a friend
  17. clip — a video
  18. season — of the year
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tube — a container
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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