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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. content — happy
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — the amount
  21. stem — to come from
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wax — in the ear

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