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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: club · chair · mate · toast · sharp · foot · straw · arm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mate — a partner
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. toast — bread
  24. chair — to sit on

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