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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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Word bank
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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: nail · bowl · spell · foot · lean · toast · cue · perch

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — thin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — letters
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cue — a hint
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spell — magic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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