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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · arm · key · racket · cell · snap · lie · toast

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — a phone
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cell — in biology
  24. racket — a loud noise

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