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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cue — a signal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — for digging
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. squash — the sport

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