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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. roll — a list
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. toast — bread
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — letters
  13. capital — money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. capital — a city
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. roll — a cake
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. arm — a part of something

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