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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. present — there
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. toast — bread
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — a gift
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. date — the fruit
  18. present — the time now
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — magic
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — to wash
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — rain

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