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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. clip — a video
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. toast — bread
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a path
  18. bear — the animal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. track — to keep track

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