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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — music
  9. cell — in biology
  10. snap — to click
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cap — a lid

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