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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. last — to go on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — final
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. last — finally

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