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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. arm — part of the body

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