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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. last — to go on
  5. mark — a grade
  6. last — finally
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. last — final
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. toast — bread
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ball — a dance

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