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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cue — a signal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — thin
  8. band — a music group
  9. clip — to cut
  10. staff — a stick
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. clip — a video
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. band — a ring
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lean — to bend
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — after costs

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