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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. last — final
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. perch — the fish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. toast — bread
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — clothes
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — to fit
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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