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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cue — a hint
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — to go on
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. last — finally
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay

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