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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: snap · stand · present · toast · rule · last · degree · wake

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rule — government
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. degree — an amount
  8. present — there
  9. toast — bread
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — final
  15. degree — temperature
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. last — finally
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stand — to bear
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. present — a gift
  24. rule — a law

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