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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cue — a signal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — a company
  13. wind — moving air
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — a hint
  16. firm — decided
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — a video
  23. firm — steady
  24. coach — a trainer

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