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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. suit — in cards
  4. field — farmland
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ground — a position
  11. field — a subject
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. field — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. suit — clothes

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