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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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 — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — after costs
  10. drill — army training
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — for catching
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. drill — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — a practice
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. arm — part of the body
  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