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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — bread
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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