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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spell — magic
  5. mate — a friend
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. clip — to cut
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. toast — bread
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. swing — music
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mate — to breed

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