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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — the season
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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