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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pound — to hit hard

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