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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: season · deal · mug · perch · wind · date · toast · arm

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. deal — to handle
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a face
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. date — the fruit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. perch — the fish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mug — a cup

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