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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — bread
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — a series
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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