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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — bread
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. roll — a list
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kick — in football
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — army training
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — a permit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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