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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — a signal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — a path
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — for pool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. shower — rain
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. track — to keep track
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. track — a song
  24. cue — a hint

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