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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — a coil
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — the season
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spring — of water
  24. can — to be able to

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