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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: wave · hide · toast · saw · suit · rash · court · fork

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. court — of a king
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — to fit
  13. toast — bread
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. court — of law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. court — for sport
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — on the skin

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