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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. last — final
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — bread
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — finally
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. key — for a lock
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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