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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. shower — rain
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. toast — bread
  8. branch — a division
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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