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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a signal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. deal — to handle
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. land — a country
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. land — ground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cue — a hint
  24. date — on the calendar

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