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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a committee
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — a coil
  10. craft — a skill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — to get on
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chest — a box
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. craft — boats
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — a part of something

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