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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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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: chair · rush · toast · wake · fine · lean · object · stock

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — an aim
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. object — to protest
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lean — thin
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — shares
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. toast — bread
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. object — a thing
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lean — to bend

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