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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. march — the month
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cue — a signal
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. march — music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — army training
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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