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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: arm · date · mine · hand · tube · pass · toast · mug

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — in cards
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. date — the fruit
  24. tube — a container

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