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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. snap — to click
  15. pound — a weight
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pound — to hit hard

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