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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cue — for pool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — in football
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hand — help
  23. field — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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