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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: toast · straw · nail · season · wave · bulb · file · chip

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. season — in sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. file — a line of people
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — of the sea

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