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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. toast — bread
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cold — an illness
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — not warm
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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