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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. row — a line
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. toast — bread
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. arm — part of the body

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