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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — bread
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — of the year
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. spell — magic
  24. date — the fruit

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