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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — hasty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fine — all right
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. toast — bread
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — the most admired

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