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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — letters
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. march — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. toast — bread
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — in sport

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