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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · arm · last · row · lie · wind · sharp · mouse

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. last — final
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wind — moving air

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