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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: mate · racket · lie · scale · wake · stick · toast · arm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. toast — bread
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. scale — size or range
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. arm — part of the body
  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