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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: bat · date · squash · toast · bear · spell · arm · kick

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. bat — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — letters
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. kick — with a leg

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