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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — bread
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — after costs
  8. bound — tied together
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — decided
  14. net — for catching
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. net — in sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. toast — the most admired

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