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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lean — thin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lean — to bend
  20. march — the month
  21. toast — bread
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lean — to rest against

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