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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — a thing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — an aim
  13. clip — a video
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. clip — for paper
  21. foot — a measure
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. toast — bread

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