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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. degree — an amount
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a trace
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. band — a ring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — from a university
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. degree — temperature
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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