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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: nail · mate · toast · firm · object · wake · rest · file

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. object — an aim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — bread
  13. mate — a friend
  14. file — a document
  15. rest — a break
  16. mate — to breed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. mate — a partner
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. file — a tool

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