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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. spring — of water
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — to tire
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chair — a leader
  24. craft — boats

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