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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · toast · game · wave · season · date · nail · stand

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — wild animals
  4. date — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — in sport
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. file — a line of people
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — to bear
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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