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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — to bend
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chest — a box
  14. date — the fruit
  15. roll — a list
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lean — thin
  18. roll — a cake
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. suit — clothes
  24. toast — the most admired

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