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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — bread
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. content — videos and posts

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