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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cue — for pool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. toast — bread
  6. clip — to cut
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. clip — a video
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lean — thin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cue — a signal

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