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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: content · wave · toast · fall · bay · last · court · jam

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. fall — to drop
  4. court — of law
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. toast — bread
  7. content — happy
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — for sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. content — the amount
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. last — final
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fall — the season
  19. court — of a king
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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