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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. suit — clothes
  19. net — for catching
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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