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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: chair · rush · wind · deal · date · toast · wake · wave

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. toast — bread
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chair — a leader

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