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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. last — final
  3. cue — for pool
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. last — to go on
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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