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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. squash — the sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mate — a friend
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — there
  13. squash — to crush
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mate — a partner
  16. toast — bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal

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