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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tube — a container
  3. season — of the year
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. last — final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. season — in sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — a cake
  20. last — finally
  21. toast — bread
  22. date — the fruit
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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