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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. toast — bread
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — a law
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rule — government
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — on a finger

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