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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cue — a signal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — temperature
  16. spell — magic
  17. cue — a hint
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hand — help
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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