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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. clip — to cut
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rest — a break
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — certain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. clip — for paper
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. clip — a video
  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