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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — bread
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cold — an illness
  9. face — to point toward
  10. club — a group
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cold — not warm
  22. face — to confront
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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