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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. clip — a video
  8. date — the fruit
  9. foot — a measure
  10. clip — to cut
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. toast — bread
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. clip — for paper
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. kid — child

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