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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bat — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. face — to confront
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. toast — bread
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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