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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: mine · cell · wound · fine · toast · arm · date · stick

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — high quality
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — all right
  21. toast — bread
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. date — on the calendar

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