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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · toast · field · bear · nail · clip · mug

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. field — farmland
  8. toast — bread
  9. mug — a face
  10. field — a subject
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ball — a great time
  14. clip — for paper
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a cup
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — for sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bear — the animal
  24. toast — the most admired

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