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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — happy
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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