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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tube — a container
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cell — in biology
  7. last — to go on
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — clever
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — a phone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — finally
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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